Employees in the following employment classifications are eligible to request family leave as described in this policy:
* Regular full-time employees
* Regular part-time employees
Eligible employees may request family leave only after having completed 365 calendar days of service. Eligible employees should make requests for family leave to their supervisors at least 30 days in advance of foreseeable events and as soon as possible for unforeseeable events.
Employees requesting family leave related to the serious health condition of a child, spouse, or parent may be required to submit a health care provider's statement verifying the need for a family leave to provide care, its beginning and expected ending dates, and the estimated time required.
Eligible employees may request up to a maximum of 12 weeks of family leave within any 12 month period. Any combination of family leave and medical leave may not exceed this maximum limit. If this initial period of absence proves insufficient, consideration will be given to a written request for a single extension of no more than 60 calendar days. Married employee couples may be restricted to a combined total of 12 weeks leave within any 12 month period for childbirth, adoption, or placement of a foster child; or to care for a parent with a serious health condition.
Subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of the applicable plans, health insurance benefits will be provided by FreedomPark until the end of the first full month of approved family leave. At that time, employees will become responsible for the full costs of these benefits if they wish coverage to continue. When the employee returns from family leave, benefits will again be provided by FreedomPark according to the applicable plans.
Benefit accruals, such as vacation, sick leave, or holiday benefits, will be suspended during the leave and will resume upon return to active employment.
So that an employee's return to work can be properly scheduled, an employee on family leave is requested to provide FreedomPark with at least two weeks advance notice of the date the employee intends to return to work. When a family leave ends, the employee will be reinstated to the same position, if it is available, or to an equivalent position for which the employee is qualified.
If an employee fails to return to work on the agreed upon return date, FreedomPark will assume that the employee has resigned.